Shameless Sponsor Plug is exactly what it sounds like. It’s an opportunity to highlight the support of one of our sponsors so that they get recognition for making our programming possible. Instead of taking the low road and pretending that a paying sponsor is not exactly that, we prefer to make it clear that a sponsor is so because their organization recognizes what we are trying to achieve with the power of ice hockey, and they deserve credit for helping us “share happiness & change lives, one puck at a time.”

GoalZero (formerly Goal0) is an interesting company. A few years ago their founder was doing non-profit work in Africa and was disappointed with the portable solar power that had accompanied him, and set out to create a better product. Along with creating a phenomenal product, GoalZero looks to distinguish itself from competitors by supporting organizations doing unique work around the world.

I reached out to GoalZero, as Ladakh is a region with a significant energy problem, and a lot of sunlight, being a high altitude desert. As part of their sponsorship, GoalZero donated multiple sets of portable solar products. For this specific trip, we were able to bring along:

Sherpa 50 battery

Sherpa 120 battery

Nomad 13.5 panel

Nomad 27 panel

2 Universal Inverters (allows you to use any wall plug between 110V-220V for the batteries)

Lamp

For the beginning of the trip, Alex and I have used the Nomads and Sherpas to keep our gadgets running, as we have two computers, multiple phones, random accessories and cameras. We came with a lot of gadgetry, and the two panels and batteries have kept us alive and well throughout. As I type this, I am plugged into a Sherpa 120 through the UI, as power won’t be available for 5 more hours.Before leaving Ladakh, the Sherpa 50, Nomad 13.5 and one of the UI’s will be donated to SECMOL (Students’ Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh), a progressive school 25km outside of Leh proper, that uses limited solar power to run their whole campus, including heating water through solar mirrors and grows many of their own food in organic greenhouses. SECMOL is the reason I came to Ladakh, and donating this portable solar power set will significantly make their lives easier.

The Sherpa 120, Nomad 27, the other UI and the lamp are going to be donated to a prominent poet, Ahmit, that is doing charity work in the region to help develop better public toilets and create a 4-season, self-sufficient apricot industry to grow local agriculture production and give locals a greatly needed stream of income during the harsh Ladakhi winters.

The beautiful thing about GoalZero’s products is that they can be passed along as organizations need it, and once we have run our course with these panels/batteries, we are excited to pass them along to other organizations that can benefit from the power of GoalZero products.

Special thanks to GoalZero for their support. To learn more about their products, visit www.Goalzero.com. When I return to the US, feel free to stop by and see me at Eastern Mountain Sports in NYC to see the products up close and personal.